Melting the Frostbitten Flame
by Haruka Shinigami
Summary: Toshiro had never been known to like anyone before in his life. And he certainly wouldn't fall for the girl that had stolen his title of 'child prodigy.' But maybe he can't help himself. And will he be able to steal Gin's girl?  Gin/OC. Toshiro/OC.
1. Delivery

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

**However: **I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

**Warning: **Spoilers may be present.

* * *

Hitsugaya walked along the corridor towards the research labs. Captain Haruka Kaenbyo had given him orders to bring her a pile of reports as soon as he was free. He had rushed to finish up his paperwork so that he wouldn't cause her to wait too long for he knew that if he pissed off Haruka he would get in big trouble. The thought of having the young girl who stood 4'2" tall and was captain of Squad 14 pissed scared him even though he was bigger and of a higher rank than her. She had stolen his title of 'child prodigy' by beating all of his scores and become a captain at an even younger age. He had only been a captain for a year when she was promoted to one straight out of the academy. They even created a new squad for her.

Hitsugaya knocked quietly on the lab door for it was locked and he didn't have security clearing to have the pass code to get in. Only those who worked in the labs had access to them. Those without the security clearing had to be escorted in by someone who did.

"Who is it?" Haruka asked from the other side of the door. She was obviously busy with her work because normally she would answer the door herself.

"Captain Hitsugaya delivering the reports you requested," he replied.

The door made a clicking sound and opened up. Hitsugaya walked through, the doors closing stiffly behind him.

"Is that all of them?" Haruka asked. She had barely taken a second to look up from her work and glance at him.

He nodded as he handed the stack of files to her. Hitsugaya stood still and watched as she quickly skimmed the contents of the files. She was too observed in her work to even notice that he hadn't left. That was before he tried to start a conversation.

"Shouldn't you take a break? You look exhausted Captain," Hitsugaya asked. "You should go to bed and rest."

"Who asked you? And why are you even still here?" Haruka questioned in a harsh tone. "I have enough work to deal with without you getting in my way. I could finish a lot sooner and rest a more if you would just leave me alone." The air in the room became hot and humid before it instantly froze, the heat continuing to linger on the edges as Haruka's reiatsu reacted with her anger.

"Well then, goodnight Captain Kaenbyo," Hitsugaya said coldly, as though all emotion had been sucked from him. He walked out of the room without another word.

As he walked down the halls he tried to keep a calm expression. He tried to dodge crossing paths with people for he knew he was on the brink of breaking. He was almost out when he accidently bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," he said without looking up. His snowy white hair hid his face.

"Is that any way to treat a fellow Captain?" a familiar voice questioned. Hitsugaya looked up to see Gin smiling slyly at him. He was fox-like as always.

"Captain Ichimaru, I didn't see you there, my apologies," Hitsugaya mumbled. His green-blue eyes were icier than ever as he glared at Gin. After a few seconds he went back to staring at the ground below him.

Gin smiled, his eyes just barely slits, examined the young captain before him. "You have no point of looking down, pipsqueak."

Hitsugaya brushed the insult because he was too upset to deal with anymore shit. "Leave me alone Ichimaru. I've dealt with enough crap today as it is."

"Has Haruka been acting mean to you again?" Gin laughed. "Stop taking her so seriously; she only gets upset when you distract her from her work, especially when she's on the verge of finishing a big project."

Hitsugaya avoided his gaze, hiding his face behind his hair. His icy eyes closed.

"Is there something you're trying to hide?" Gin asked.

"I said leave me alone Captain Ichimaru," Hitsugaya didn't know how much longer he could take being within proximity to his rival.

For the longest time now Haruka, the girl he loved had been known as Gin's girl because everyone in the entire soul society knew that Gin had a crush on her. Plus they were always with each other because they were such close friends that even if they weren't an official couple everyone treated them as such. Hitsugaya couldn't stand being anywhere near Gin since he had found out about how close he was with Haruka.

"There's no point in hiding something from me you know," Gin replied. "I'll find out what you're hiding eventually so you might as well spill it now when no one else is around to hear."

Hitsugaya was done taking Gin's annoying questions. Hitsugaya walked right past Gin, only to be pulled back and shoved into a wall. Gin put his hand against the wall, trapping Hitsugaya where he was.

"Captain Ichimaru, I demand that you let me go this instant," Hitsugaya exclaimed.

"Don't you want to accompany me to see Haruka? Maybe we can fix this little disagreement between you two," Gin asked. "I have to go there anyways to give her the dinner she had asked me to buy."

"I just came from there and I have no intentions on returning. I've dealt with her enough for the day thank you very much," Hitsugaya tried to push Gins arm away with no such luck.

"Well, if you tell me what's wrong, maybe I could work it out if you're in such a hurry to go away," Gin tried to pry.

"That I also have no intentions of doing," Hitsugaya replied coldly. The air dropped a few degrees as Hitsugaya's spiritual pressure responded to his anger. "Goodbye Captain Ichimaru." Hitsugaya again pushed at Gin's arm to no avail.

"Don't think I'll be letting you away so easily," Gin smiled. "I'm bigger than you. I'm stronger than you. I'm faster than you. Don't for a moment think that you can outfight me."

"Will you please let me go? Your presence detests me," Hitsugaya said sourly, a tone as bitter as spoiled milk.

"Oh, so now you're mad at me too? What have I ever done," Gin asked.

"You're lucky she likes you," Hitsugaya said. Gin finally gave in and let his arm go.

Hitsugaya began to walk away.

"Oh how I wish she did," Gin called back to him just before he was out of hearing range.

* * *

Arigato. Reviews welcome.

- Haruka Shinigami


	2. Sweet Dreams

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

**However: **I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

**Warning: **Spoilers may be present.

* * *

Gin walked up to the lab door and entered the pass code to unlock it. The door swung open to reveal Captain Kaenbyo was reading a file on her desk and writing down things on a piece of paper beside it. She was so focused that she didn't even take note of Gin's arrival.

"Good evening Captain Kaenbyo," Gin smiled. "I've brought the dinner you requested. How about you take a break and catch up on talking with me? And maybe catching up on your eating too."

Haruka laughed and set down the file. She got up from her desk and took a seat at the guest table she had in the corner. Gin followed and set the bag of food on the table. He opened it and pulled out two orders of teriyaki chicken with rice with mochi for dessert. Gin grabbed a thermos out of the bottom of the bag along with two tea cups, pouring one for each of them. He handed Haruka her food along with a pair of chopsticks.

"How long have you been up working now? Three days with no sleep?" Gin laughed as he took a bite of his food.

Haruka blushed slightly for what he was saying was true. "Maybe. But I've stayed up for much longer than that before."

Gin sighed. His smile faded slightly. "You know that really isn't good for your health Haruka. You should take a break and go to sleep. You really do need it. You don't want permanent dark circles under your eyes do you?"

"Of course I don't want that. I'll go to my room as soon as we finish eating. Okay?" Haruka bargained. "You can even walk me there to make sure that I actually go to sleep. Will that make you happy?"

"Yes," Gin smiled, his eyes turning to slits. "Staying up for three days is not good. I don't know why I allowed you to do it in the first place. I guess I'll have to keep a better watch on you from now on. Don't want you getting sick again now do we?"

Haruka ate the last bite of rice from her container. She took a sip of her tea, not realizing that she hadn't even picked up the cup prior to that moment. It was chrysanthemum tea, her favorite. Drinking it always cheered her up instantly. Gin always knew how to turn her mood from bitter to sweet in seconds.

Haruka smiled as she drank her tea. "Today's been stressful. I've had a lot of work and not enough time to finish it all."

"I heard you got in a little disagreement with Captain Hitsugaya today," Gin questioned as he got up to throw away the containers from their dinner. "He seemed quite upset when I ran into him earlier."

"He was interrupting my work," Haruka stated emotionlessly. "I asked him to deliver a few reports to me and that was it. I did not ask for him to hang around in my lab as I worked. I wouldn't have minded that much if it weren't for the fact that he continuously tried to impose a conversation with me while I was working."

Gin laughed. "He was probably just bored; looking for someone to talk to. I bet Momo was too busy to hang out with him like she normally does."

Haruka picked up her mochi and unwrapped it. She took a bite to determine that it was green tea flavored with red bean paste inside. It was an odd combination but one that she enjoyed a lot.

"Whatever, as long as he doesn't interrupt my work again," Haruka stated harshly. "I'm almost done with this project too. Another day or two and I'd be finished. And free to go on missions again, rather than sitting around in this lab room all day."

"You miss going on missions don't you?" Gin asked.

Haruka sighed. "Duh. They've had me trapped in this damn room for the past three months or so working on these annoying projects that could easily be shoved off to other people. But no, it has to be me working on them of course."

Gin drank his tea quickly for it was getting cold and he disliked cold tea. "You might want to apologize to Toshiro before you end up stuck on a mission with him while you two are still angry at each other."

"I will, some other time," Haruka yawned. "Right now I need some sleep. I just realized how tired I actually am. I guess that's what I get for staying up for three days straight."

Gin quickly cleaned up the mess they had made from eating. "Let's get going, you need your sleep."

"Alright," Haruka yawned, making the sound a baby kitten when it's tired.

Gin and Haruka walked towards squad 14's barracks in mostly silence. A few words spoken here and there but for the most part they were quiet. That was how they were; they could communicate without having to say a single word. It just came naturally to them. Haruka looked up at the night sky and stared at the bright starts that rested there.

"Watching the stars?" Gin asked.

Haruka smiled softly. "They're beautiful, bright and everlasting, always watching over us as we sleep. Like guardians in the sky."

Gin laughed. "Is that what you think of them now? As guardians? That's a first."

Haruka punched him softly in the shoulder for making fun of her. But she knew that he was just joking with her. He always was.

When they reached Haruka's room Gin opened the door for her and told her goodnight before he headed off to his own room for sleep.

Haruka changed out of her shihakushō and captain's haori and into pajamas. She got into bed and fell asleep before her head had even hit the pillow. Her reiatsu spread throughout the room and covered it in a thin layer of ice, melting and refreezing it constantly throughout the night to keep the room at a comfortable temperature for her to sleep.

Her sleep was dreamless. Peaceful.

* * *

Arigato. Reviews welcome.

- Haruka Shinigami


	3. A Good Night's Sleep

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

**However: **I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

**Warning: **Spoilers may be present.

* * *

Hitsugaya walked around aimlessly. It was already dark out but he wasn't in the mood to go to bed. He felt like if he did go to sleep at that moment he would end up freezing half the room over. He headed toward the 5th squad's barracks hoping that Hinamori might still be away so that he would have someone to talk to take his mind off of things. But he doubted she would be awake at that hour. Talking to her usually helped distract him from his troubles because she had so many of her own to talk about that Toshiro would never get a chance to mention his. And whenever he did she would try to help him out with them. In a way her warmth cooled off his temper.

For some odd reason if Hitsugaya got too upset and didn't release his reiatsu to create a wintery surrounding or calm down in time he would end up with a terrible fever and fall sick. It had happened many times in the past, but had grown quite rapid within the last year. Ever since Captain Kaenbyo showed up his semi-annual visits to Unohana turned into monthly ones. She ticked him off so much that he didn't understand why he cared so damn much about her. She had stolen his title, his fame. Her zanpakuto Hikourimaru was known as the rarest and strongest of all for it was a dragon made of ice crystals that radiated intense heat and fire. Hikourimaru's sword was two identical katanas with a chain that connected the two of them. The dual blades could be put together to make one sword. And her reiatsu was strong enough to even control the weather, changing it from hot to cold and vice-versa in seconds.

Hitsugaya turned a corner and headed towards Hinamori's room. He could feel a fever coming on already for beads of sweat gathered at his brow. He didn't dare release his reiatsu because he didn't know if he would be able to control it if he did. And he didn't want to alert half the city that he was upset by freezing it over because he knew if he did he would end up in a load of trouble the next day and would have to explain why he did such a reckless thing.

Hitsugaya slid open the door to the squad's barracks. He walked along a narrow hallway towards the back of the building, where the captain and lieutenant's rooms were. He stood outside Hinamori's door for a good couple of minutes before he decided to knock. Hitsugaya didn't know why he hesitated but he figured it had something to do with him being lost in his thoughts. He knocked softly on her door.

"Huh, who is it?" Hinamori asked as she opened the door. "Oh, Toshiro-kun, what are you doing out so late? It's nearly midnight. Shouldn't you be in bed? I bet Matsumoto-san is wondering where you are. Come in, come in."

Hitsugaya did as she said and entered her room. It was warm inside for her gentle reiatsu radiated within the entire area.

Hitsugaya laughed. "I doubt Matsumoto is worried about me. She's probably out somewhere getting drunk like always. And because of it I bet she'll be a hassle to deal with tomorrow. I'm not exactly in the mood for sleeping right now."

Hinamori lead the two of them to a table she had on one side of the room. "Would you like some tea, Toshiro-kun? I have green, chrysanthemum, and oolong." She got up and walked to the stove, getting out a tea pot and filling it with water.

"Anything's fine, Hinamori-chan," Hitsugaya replied. He unlatched the cord that held his zanpakuto to his back and set his sword on the floor next to him. "Make whichever one you feel like drinking. I won't be long anyways."

Hinamori opened a container of tea leaves and began to brew a pot of tea. "So why don't you feel like sleeping? You're usually in bed by this hour."

Hitsugaya shrugged. "I'm just not tired, that's all. And why aren't you in bed Hinamori-chan? Usually I'd never be able to find you awake past ten."

"I just got back from finishing up some paperwork," Hinamori answered. "I was about to go to bed when you showed up. Oh, but don't feel like you're keeping me up, I haven't got to talk to you in so long so I don't mind staying up at all."

"Yeah, I've been stuffed up in my office for too long I guess, so I never get a chance to see you. All I ever do nowadays is fill out paperwork because Matsumoto refuses to do her share of the work. I rarely get out of there except for meetings, food, and sleep," Hitsugaya replied. "And sometimes I don't even get out of there to sleep but instead end up crashing on the couch."

Hinamori laughed. "That must suck. I don't know what I'd do if I were stuck inside all day for months on end. I think I'd go crazy. Being out there and fighting the hollows, that's where the real excitement of being a shinigami is. I would miss it so much if Captain Aizen dumped all his paperwork on me so I could never go on missions."

"I can't even remember the last mission I went on," Hitsugaya said. "It's been so long."

"Wasn't the last mission you went on the one you went on with Captain Kaenbyo?" Hinamori asked as she poured them each a cup of tea. She carefully set one in front of each of their seats. "Where you two had to visit that town in northern Japan during winter and Captain Kaenbyo ended up falling sick? And you two ended up in a lot of trouble for staying in the human world for such an extended period of time?"

"I believe it was," Hitsugaya replied, memories of the mission flooding his mind.

The icy landscape filled his mind. He could almost feel the snow falling on his cheeks again.

He took a sip of his tea to try to warm himself up. Instantly he realized it was melon oolong. Hinamori knew that he loved melon. She always knew exactly what to do to cheer him up, whether that is remembering what was his favorite food to talking to him for hours on end to get his mind off things.

"How is Captain Kaenbyo? I haven't seen her around in a while," Hinamori asked. "She isn't still sick is she?"

"Of course she's not still sick. I doubt even Ukitake could be sick for that long. She's completely fine. Sour as ever though," Hitsugaya replied. "I saw her today. I had to deliver some reports to her. She's been stuck in the lab for the past three months working on some big project. She got mad at me for hanging around in her lab for too long."

Hinamori laughed. "She's probably just bitter from being stuck in the lab for too long. I bet she's just like you and misses going on missions. I'm almost sure that her last mission was the one you two went on together."

"It probably was," Hitsugaya said.

He recalled that mission perfectly, every last detail of it. It was the first mission he had been assigned to with Captain Kaenbyo as his partner. They were sent to Sapporo in northern Japan to eliminate a large gathering of hollows that had manifested in the area. The soul society was worried that a menos might appear due to the amount of hollows that had crossed over.

On their first day in the human world it was snowing. Hitsugaya remembered the smile on Captain Kaenbyo's face as she began to play in the snow. She even threw a snow ball at him. Although the fun ended quickly when they received order that a group of hollows were gather.

Although the snow was fun at first, it had been the dead of winter when they'd been sent. Both of their zanpakutos had ice powers so the weather intensified their power by making it easier for them to chill the word around them. But the weather also turned out to be a terrible drawback.

Due to the near endless amount of hollows that had appeared, and the manifestation of six menos, they ended up stuck in the human world for close to the limit a shinigami could stay. They had been sleeping in a shed and were using gigai to blend-in in the world of the living. During that time Captain Kaenbyo fell sick with a bad case of bronchitis and could hardly move.

One night, the night he remembers the most, Captain Kaenbyo was extremely ill and weakened. She hadn't left her bed the entire day. Hitsugaya could feel her reiatsu was doing little to help heal her. Kaenbyo was shivering under her covers and Hitsugaya could tell from the other side of the room. Her reiatsu flared up in heat that did little to warm up the room. Hitsugaya doubted it even raised the temperature one degree. Hitsugaya grabbed his blanket and laid it over his fellow captain in attempts to keep her warm. He didn't care if he froze half to death that night, he just wanted her safe. That night was the first time he wished that his power wasn't of ice, but instead fire so that he might have some way to warm her up.

She looked up at him with wary eyes and said, "You need your blanket more than I do. You'll get sick if you try to sleep without it. You always get sick. I see you in Unohana's office nearly every month for something."

Hitsugaya smiled. "And what about you? You're already sick. Do you expect me to just sit around all warm and cozy while you freeze half to death over here? As if I'd let that happen. Besides as you said I get sick all the time so I'm used to it by now."

"You're such an idiot at times. You shouldn't allow yourself to get sick just to protect me. Besides it'd be warmer for the both of us if we shared a blanket," she lifted the covers.

Hitsugaya hesitated, but took her invitation. He couldn't deny the fact that he himself was freezing too and he knew what she was saying about sharing body heat was true. She had fallen asleep the moment he had pulled the covers over the two of them. He laid next to her in silence and watched as she slept. He listened to her breath which was ragged from her illness. Eventually he too fell into a peaceful slumber, completely content to be sleeping next to the girl he liked.

That night was the first night he dreamt without a dream of Hyourinmaru. It was a night he would never forget.

"Toshiro-kun?" Hinamori asked. "Toshiro-kun, are you alright?"

"Huh?" Hitsugaya replied. "I'm fine. I'm sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. It's getting late and I'm getting tired. I think I should be getting back to my room by now."

Hinamori smiled. "Okay then, goodnight, Toshiro-kun. I hope you get a good night's sleep. You look like you haven't gotten one in a while and I think you deserve one."

Hitsugaya picked up his zanpakuto and headed for the door. He said goodnight to Hinamori before heading outside to walk back to his barracks. He stared at the night sky and all the stars. He was amazed at how bright they were that night. He didn't know how long he stood there watching the sky, but he suddenly felt tired. He noticed his fever was gone and that he would probably be able to go to sleep without freezing over his squads barracks. Hinamori was right; he really did need a good night's sleep.

It had been about three months since he had one. And that was the first time he had ever had one.

* * *

Arigato. Reviews welcome.

- Haruka Shinigami


	4. A Cure For All Your Troubles

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

**However: **I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

**Warning: **Spoilers may be present.

* * *

Sake was considered the cure for all your troubles. At least that's what Rangiku believed. Hitsugaya had scolded her for showing up halfway through the day and slacking off for the rest. It was days like those when Rangiku needed a drink to forget how harsh her captain was towards her. But Rangiku rarely paid for her own drinks, instead dragging alone whoever she could find to treat her. That night Gin had been her lucky partner.

"Come on Gin, top us off," Rangiku said, resting her head on her hand.

Gin did as she requested and poured some more sake into each of their glasses. They were sitting outside at that point. In the persimmon grove Gin had planted behind the third squad's barracks back when he had first became captain. He had loved dried persimmons his whole life and had planted the trees to dry the persimmons himself to give to the other shinigami.

He remembered the first time he gave Haruka a bag of the dried fruit. The smile that spread across her face was genuine. She told him that persimmons were her favorite fruit but she loved them all the more when they were dried because then they were sweeter. A love for persimmons was one of the few things they had in common. When he actually thought about it, they weren't very similar at all. Not at all. It was almost a wonder how they were best friends.

Gin was tall, standing at about 6'1". Haruka was very short on the other hand, just passing the four foot mark. When she was standing straight up she was barely 4'2". His favorite drink was warm green tea, while she preferred a cup of chilled chrysanthemum or melon oolong. His favorite color was black, hers was white. Gin loved the summer. Haruka enjoyed the winter. Haruka loved the scent of winter-blooming narcissus and sweat pea. While Gin, on the other hand, liked someone more along the lines of crisp pine. She loved missions to the human world. Gin preferred his office much more. She loved music. He liked silence. She was trusted, even though she shouldn't have been. He wasn't, at least not by many.

Gin had few friends in the soul society other than Haruka. Kira and Rangiku made up almost the entire group. People found Gin hard to trust with his wicked sense of sarcasm and unsettling smile. But neither bothered Haruka. She was friends with nearly everyone. Gin doubted he could find a single person in the entire Soul Society that hated Haruka. She was just sweet, genuinely good. On the outside at least.

Her smile was a mask she wore without a second thought. Behind it was a girl who truly didn't care about anyone other than herself, and maybe her closest friends. She had learned to give people a sense of trust, but never truly trust them. Be loved, but don't love back, for emotions only get you hurt.

It was a side of her that even Gin had only seen a handful of times. He doubted anyone else knew about who she really was.

Gin sighed. His smile fading slightly.

"You okay?" Rangiku asked, noticing his slight change in expression.

Gin smiled. "Yeah, just getting a little tired. Maybe we should get going to bed now."

Rangiku pouted. "You're such a party pooper, Gin. The night is still young, we have plenty of time. Sit back and relax. And pour be another glass, will you?"

Gin opened a new bottle of Sake, not even checking to see how many they had already finished off. Two or three, maybe four, he thought to himself. He filled each of their cups to the brim and set the bottle down beside him.

He took a sip of his sake, suddenly feeling his throat run dry. He stared up at the night sky, watching the clouds slowly dance along the stars. Even though it was early spring the night was still warm. Not too cool, but not too hot like summer nights often were. There was a crisp scent of flowers in the air for the persimmon trees had just began to bloom.

Gin finished off his glass, for the hundredth time that night, and lost himself in his thoughts once again.

He remembered earlier that day, when he was on his way to Haruka's lab to bring her dinner. He had run into Hitsugaya in the hall, a look of pain was plastered across his face. Gin began to wonder what Haruka had done to upset him so much. It wasn't like Hitsugaya to be easily hurt by things. Gin was curious but he wouldn't ask about it. He could probably guess anyway. It wasn't much of a secret that Hitsugaya liked her, especially after what he had told Gin.

You're so lucky she likes you. Those words had been stuck in his head all night, repeated over and over again in Hitsugaya's sullen voice. The anger in his eyes and the sadness in his voice had clashed, almost frightening Gin. If only Hitsugaya knew. If only he knew.

He hoped with this glass he would finally be able to get them out, and if not, the next. Sake was considered the cure to all your troubles. And Gin was starting to believe that.

You're so lucky she likes you.

Oh, how he wished she did. How he wished she did.

* * *

Arigato. Reviews welcome.

I realize this is an extremely short chapter but it's really hard to write in Gin's pov. Sorry.

- Haruka Shinigami


	5. A Bittersweet Morning

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

**However: **I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

**Warning: **Spoilers may be present.

* * *

Haruka wandered around Seireitei. It was almost noon and she still had yet to hear from Gin. Usually he was in her office bright and early to bring her food or just hang out. It was odd that he was missing since his morning visits had become routine. Haruka had no idea where he was. He could have been anywhere in Seireitei.

She searched the local vicinity for any trace of Gin's reiatsu. She located it to the far north. It was weak, but probably only because of the distance. She guessed he was probably still at the Squad 3 barracks or in his office. Haruka found that odd since he wasn't one to spend his days in his office doing paperwork, but instead he shoved it off onto his lieutenant. Some days she felt sorry for Kira and wanted to scold Gin for it, but she did the same to her Lieutenant Umeko all the time.

Haruka ran using shunpo and landed on top of the Squad 3 barracks. She jumped to the ground with a soft thud, her captain haori flowing loosely around her. Now that she was closer she was able to feel Gin's reiatsu more clearly. She could tell that he wasn't in his office but instead in the opposite direction in his room. She began to worry. Gin was never one to sleep in late. He was always up and about early in the morning, finding his way to Haruka's office before even she had gotten there.

Haruka walked into the barracks and down a hall. Gin's room was in the very back or his squad's barracks, in a room that was, for the most part, hidden. Many people didn't even notice that there was a room there because his door was the same pattern as the wall and slid perfectly into place to align with the wall. If you had never seen Gin open the door then you weren't likely to notice that it existed. The only reason she knew of its existence was that on quite a few occasions she had passed out in the lab and Gin would bring her there to rest because he could not get to Haruka's room.

She knocked quietly on Gin's door. From the other side of the wall Gin mumbled something that Haruka could not make out.

Haruka pushed on the door slightly, moving it from its position in the wall and pushed it aside slightly. She looked inside to notice that Gin was lying in bed, a thick blanket laid on top of him. His head was buried in his pillow.

"Gin," Haruka said softly. "Are you alright? Have you been in bed all morning?"

"Haruka?" Gin muttered, not lifting his head from his pillow.

Haruka laughed and stepped inside. "It's past noon, Gin. You should really get up. I bet Kira is worried about you. He's probably wondering why you haven't checked in yet."

Gin mumbled something and lifted his head to look at Haruka. "My head hurts. I shouldn't have let Rangiku drag me out last night."

"Well it's no wonder that your head hurts if you went out drinking with Matsumoto," Haruka laughed. "You always drink too much when you're out with her. I wouldn't be surprised if your hangover lasts until tomorrow. Haven't you learned your limit yet?"

Gin sighed. "Well when you're drunk you end up losing track of things. I can't even remember how many bottles of sake we went through. Two or three, maybe four bottles. I don't know anymore."

"Well, you still need to get up," Haruka stated. She picked his captain's haori off the ground and threw it at him. "Come on, get dressed. We have a captains' meeting in an hour if you've forgotten. The captain commander will be quite upset if you ditch. I don't think you want to get in trouble again do you?"

Gin sighed and sat up. He was still wearing his shihakushō from the previous day. He was probably too drunk last night to change out of it before he crawled into bed.

"Grab me a towel, okay?" Gin asked as he got up from his bed. "I'm going to take a shower."

Haruka laughed and walked to his closet, pulling a towel off the top shelf. "Is that you're attempt at trying to look sober?" she asked as she threw the towel at him.

"No," Gin smiled slyly. "It's my attempt at looking a little less hung over. I'll be out in a minute. You can wait here if you want." And with that he disappeared into his bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Haruka sat down on the floor and leaned against a nearby wall. She had been in her office all morning trying to catch up on the paperwork she had left sitting around the previous week so that she could work in the lab. Luckily, Umeko had done a majority of it for her but there was still a giant stack of reports that required her signature to be completed. Haruka hadn't held a pen for that long in ages because in the lab she preferred to use a computer. Haruka closed her eyes to rest. Even though she had slept the entire night for once she was still tired. But that was what she got for staying up so many days in a row.

Haruka sighed as she felt the beginning of a headache come about. She didn't have the time to deal with one that day. She had a captain's meeting in less than an hour and had to be back in the lab to finish up the project. Haruka was quite lucky that Umeko decided to finish up the paperwork because if she had to do that too she probably would never get anything done.

"Wake up sleeping beauty," Gin whispered.

Haruka opened her eyes to see him squatting in front of her. He was dressed in a fresh shihakushō with his captain's haori thrown over. His hair was still damp.

She grabbed the towel that he held in his hand and threw it on his head. "Dry your hair silly," she laughed. "You don't want to get sick now do you?"

Gin laughed. "Me? Sick? Are you kidding me?" But he obliged anyways and rubbed the towel against his head. He shook his hair out and it fell into place. He threw the towel into a dirty laundry hamper in the corner of the room.

"We should get going, don't want to be late now do we?" Haruka said as she slid open the door to the hall. "Or else Captain Commander Yamato will have our heads. Or worse."

Gin smiled and followed her out into the hall. They headed out of the barracks, passing the persimmon orchard Gin had planted when he first became captain. The flowers were already in bloom and he could tell there was going to be a bounty of fruit during the next harvest.

"It smells so sweet out here," Haruka said as she stared at the trees. "I can't wait for your dried persimmons, they're always the best."

"I can't wait either," Gin smiled. "Now let's get going. He used shunpo and landed on the roof of the barracks in front of her. "You're so slow Haruka."

She pouted. "Not my fault you ran away." She got up with him in an instant. "I'll race you, and no cheating this time."

Gin nodded and they took off towards the captains meeting hall. By the time Haruka had come to a stop on top of the meeting hall Gin was already sitting there smiling at her.

Haruka took a few quick seconds to catch her breath before she began to complain. "Ugh, I'm so slow now. I haven't used shunpo that much in ages. Sitting in the office really does get you out of shape, huh? The moment I finish this damn assignment I'm going to start training again. I'm winded from such a short run."

Gin laughed. "You're just out of practice. And we both know you've never been that good at shunpo."

"I'll admit to that one," Haruka laughed. "My kidō in general has never been too great. Actually I'm surprised I ever got out of the academy."

"It's not that bad," Gin smiled. "Just not that good either; which might explain why you're a captain instead of in the kidō corps."

Gin jumped to the ground and Haruka followed closely behind him. They walked slowly, at a lazy pace. After that race they weren't in much of a hurry to get to the captain's hall for they had plenty of time. They headed to the main hall and opened the door to the captain's hall. They were nearly the last to arrive. They took their positions in the oval that the captains stood in during a meeting. Gin stood near the captain commander because he was captain of squad 3 while Haruka stood at the opposite end for she was of squad 14.

They stood in silence as the remaining captains entered. There were a total of eleven of them in the room by then. Ukitake and Shunsui arrived together increasing the number to thirteen. Only one of them was missing. Haruka looked around to see who it was. The empty spot was between Captains Shunsui and Mayuri, which meant that the captain of squad 10 was missing.

Haruka was tempted to laugh. The thought of Captain Hitsugaya late was hilarious. He was always so punctual, precise, perfect. Haruka was almost sick of being compared to him. Other than her height and age she was nothing like him. He was cold, anti-social. Haruka loved to hang out with her friends. He acted so mighty, like he was better than everyone else. She hated people who put others down like that. Even their appearance was completely different. He had short white hair. She had long black hair. He had green eyes. She had purple. They had nothing in common. Nothing at all.

Toshiro Hitsugaya loudly stormed into the room bringing Haruka from her thoughts. He quickly took his position and crossed his arms in front of his body.

"Glad you could join us today, Captain Hitsugaya," Captain Commander Yamamoto stated. "Now, shall I begin?"

Haruka spaced out while the Captain Commander informed them of such routine tasks that it almost seemed trivial that he repeat himself every meeting. Things such as large hollow manifestations and menos appearances were becoming a normalcy. Haruka sighed softly, a barely audible sound. She was bored and wanted to get out of the meeting so she could get back to her lab in the SRDI department and finish her assignment so she could finally get some rest.

They had been standing in that room for nearly an hour before the Captain Commander dismissed them.

Haruka turned for the door and was walking out when Gin walked up behind her.

"Care to join me for lunch?" Gin asked.

Haruka laughed. "Isn't it a bit late for that? And I need to get back to the lab. As soon as I finish my write up report I'll be done with this dang assignment. How about dinner? I'm feeling like ramen. How about you? Meet me at the ramen shop at five?"

Gin smiled. "Okay then. I'll see you tonight."

With that Gin walked out of the room and out of sight. Haruka headed out herself and turned right. She headed to the exit and stepped out into the sunlight. Haruka sighed. She hated captain meetings because whenever they had one she ended up so far from the SDRI department and had to waste time getting back.

By the time Haruka had actually gotten back to her lab she was exhausted. She didn't feel like working but she knew that the faster she finished her work the faster she could get out of there and maybe take a nap before dinner.

She tapped in the code to her lab and pulled open the door.

"Finally you're back," a voice said from inside. "I've been waiting all day."

"Umeko?" Haruka was surprised to see her lieutenant in her office. "What are you doing here?"

Umeko had been Haruka's lieutenant from the beginning of her term as captain. They had been in the academy together and grown to be best friends since the day they had first met at the academy introduction ceremony. When they graduated Umeko and Haruka had tied for first in class. It was the first time in years since there was a tie for first in class.

"I thought you might need some help," Umeko smiled. "I finished your write up for you. Check it over so I can turn it in. And so you can go get some rest. You've been working non-stop for months now. I heard that Gin had to force you to go to bed last night even though you were half passed out in your lab."

Haruka laughed. "You know me so well Umeko," she began to read over the document.

Umeko had filled out everything perfectly. But how could she expect anything less from her second in command. There was a reason Haruka had chosen her of all the shinigami assigned to her squad to be her lieutenant even though there was others who were stronger and smarter, Umeko was the only one Haruka saw fit to be her right hand. They'd been together through everything and knew each other like they knew their own zanpakuto.

"It's all good," Haruka stated as she handed back the documents. "Go ahead and turn it in. I'm heading out to go take a nap. Feel free to take a break, not like we have much of anything else to do since you finished all the paperwork already."

Haruka wondered around Seireitei. She was tired but she didn't feel like going to bed. Eventually she made her way to the river that flowed through the middle of Seireitei. She sat down next to a tree and stared at the crystal blue water as it slowly traveled down the length of the stream.

"Finished your work already I see," Gin smiled.

"Umeko did it for me," Haruka stated. "How'd you know I would be here?"

Gin laughed. "You always come here when you're tired. You hate taking naps inside your barracks; you always complain it's too stuffy when you do."

Gin sat down next to Haruka leaning against the tree.

"But it is too stuffy in there during the day," Haruka whined. "It's too hot and there is just too many people roaming around in there. They should find a better way to ventilate that place than just leaving the windows open."

Gin laughed and shifted his seat forward a bit. He then pulled Haruka next to him and laid down on the soft grass. He motioned for her to lie next to him and she did. She rested her head on his chest and listened as his heart beat softly. It had been a while since the last time they laid around in the grass while watching the clouds float in the sky. Haruka missed having the time to do things like this. She smiled and yawned quietly, drifting to sleep to the sound of Gin's heartbeat.

* * *

Toshiro didn't understand why he was upset he just knew he was. It probably had to do something with the fact that when he had awoken his entire room was covered in a thick frost and he had a massive headache. He didn't even understand why he had frozen the room over like that considering how fine he had felt when he had gone to bed after talking to Momo. He felt like something had decided he wasn't fit to live happily and placed a curse on him.

He had been walking around most of the day, leaving all of his tasks to Matsumoto. The only thing that he couldn't shove off on her no matter how much he would have liked was his captains' meeting. He hated attending those but he did anyways because he knew he would have gotten in massive trouble if he hadn't. As soon as the meeting had ended he barged right out of the room and headed in some direction, not completely sure on where he was trying to go. Eventually he found himself following the length of the river.

Hitsugaya turned a bend to feel a familiar reiatsu wash over him. He looked up from the water to see the two people he was trying to avoid. Haruka was laying next Gin, her head on his chest. The sight made him want to cry. He took a deep breath and turned around. He tried his best to keep a straight face as he headed back to his barracks. He walked into his room and locked the door. Hitsugaya curled up on his bed and buried his face in his pillow in attempts to fall asleep knowing perfectly well that if he did sleep at that moment he would awake to a frozen room again. But he didn't care. He needed some escape from the pain.

His head began to throb badly. Eventually he became numb, not feeling or remembering a thing. He didn't know whether or not he had fallen asleep, but he didn't mind because at least the pain had faded. There was only one thing he could still remember at that point.

That Gin had lied.

* * *

Arigato. Reviews welcome.

A/N: This chapter took forever to write. Although it took me less time to write this than it did for me to finish chapter 4 (which makes no sense considering how chapter 4 is almost 2k words shorter than this one), it still took a while. Finally glad I got this one finished because now I can plan out the next few chapters. I have this timeline set out in my head of what I want to happen in this story it's just I don't have every chapter planned out perfectly so it's always a giant question of how do I move this story along so I can get to the next major event. Ugh. Well at least this chapter is finally done. (:

- Haruka Shinigami


	6. I Won't Leave Your Side

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

**However: **I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

**Warning: **Spoilers may be present.

* * *

Hitsugaya awoke to a headache that was worse than the one he had fallen asleep with. Just opening his eyes to the blinding light that filled his bedroom made his head throb. He laid there for the longest time before he noticed the chill to the room. He sighed. He'd done it again. His room was covered in a half inch thick frost and it was his entire fault. His entire squad had to know he was upset because it was rare for him to be able to freeze over the entire room in a single sleep; and he'd done it twice in one day.

Hitsugaya sat up even though the pain that radiated throughout his body made him want to lie down again. His eyes were still shut tight against the bright light that made his headache worse. He could feel himself shaking but he did nothing to stop it. It wasn't like anyone could see him locked in his bedroom. He opened his eyes slowly, allowing them the time to adjust. His head was killing him and his entire body was sore even though he had done nothing but lie in bed for hours. He glanced at the clock and attempted to read the time. It took him a few minutes to figure out the numbers for his vision blurred with every throb of his headache. He'd only been asleep for little over an hour which meant that the day was still young and he'd probably be needed for something soon.

He stood up, the sudden rush blinding him and making him kneel over in dizziness. He felt the need to puke but choked it back. Hitsugaya had had many headaches in his time but never had any been this bad. The slightest sound was like crashing thunder. The smallest change in the lighting was like being blinded. He had to get to Unohana quickly but since just walking made him dizzy he did not dare try to use shunpo to get there. He had to use the wall to steady himself. He hadn't even made it out of the barracks when his legs gave in. He willed himself to get up before anyone saw him there. Hitsugaya pushed open the door to his barrack and headed outside. The light blinded him for a couple of minutes, intensifying the throbbing in the back of his head. He could feel his breathing get heavy but he did not stop. He continued to walk towards the medical department.

Eventually he gave into the pain and collapsed.

* * *

Haruka was walking around Seireitei for no particular reason. Gin had to accompany Kira in some important trip to Rukongai and wouldn't be back until dinner. She was okay with it because she had already awoken from her nap by the river before Kira had arrived.

Haruka walked down a street and realized she was hungry. Gin was going to treat her to dinner that night but it would be hours until that happened. She sighed and down another street towards the dessert shop that she loved. The area was pretty abandoned considering it was lunch time, but Haruka didn't mind. She turned the corner and stopped dead in her tracks, amazed at what she saw. Lying unconscious on the ground was the captain of squad 10.

She instantly ran to him to check what was wrong. She kneeled on the ground next to him. She gently grabbed his shoulder and rolled him over onto her lap. Without even having to check she could tell he had a fever. He was still and his breathing was shallow.

Haruka began to worry. _How long had he been here? Did no one notice him lying here? _

She laid him on the ground and stood up. She then proceeded to hoist him onto her back and ran towards the medical department as fast as she could.

"Captain Unohana," Haruka nearly yelled as she barged into the hospital.

Lucky for her, Unohana had been in the lobby. "Yes, Captain Haruka?" Unohana asked as she looked up to see Haruka standing in front of her with an unconscious Hitsugaya on her back. "What happened to him? Is he alright?"

"I don't know," Haruka stated. "I found him unconscious on the street and I have no idea how long he had been there. But he does have a high fever. Captain Unohana, help him. Please."

Unohana nodded and took the boy from Haruka. Unohana walked down a hallway and laid him on a bed in an empty room. Haruka followed Unohana and sat in a chair in the room. Haruka watched in silence as Unohana examined him.

Haruka didn't know why she stayed. It wasn't like she was obligated to. She had fulfilled her obligations by simply bringing him to the hospital. But she couldn't leave his side. Even after Unohana had told her that he would be alright, but needed rest, she stayed. She sat by his side in silence as the hours ticked by. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there until Gin walked into the room.

"I was looking for you all over," Gin stated. He was holding a plastic bag in his hand. "I ran into Unohana near the ramen shop. She told me that you found Captain Hitsugaya unconscious on the street and refused to leave his side. I brought you dinner; I thought you might be hungry. Spicy miso ramen."

Haruka took the bowl and chop sticks he handed her and took off the lid. "Thanks," Haruka stated as she began to eat. "I don't know why I stayed here so long. I guess I just lost track of the time. I'm sorry. I was just worried about him. I've never seen him so weak."

"It's not like him to collapse in the street," Gin said. Haruka noticed that Gin wasn't smiling. "He must have been in really bad shape."

"Unohana said that he'd be fine," Haruka replied, still eating. "I hope he will be."

"As do we all," Gin replied. "We don't want to lose a captain now do we?"

Haruka smiled, the type of smile that you made when there was nothing else to do. "Of course not," Haruka replied.

* * *

Gin had asked her if she wanted him to walk her home but she refused, stating that she'd rather stay there. She didn't understand what compelled her to stay by his side but she did. She sat in the small room for the longest time. At one point she got up and walked to Hitsguya's bedside. She sat down on the edge of his bed and continued to sit in silence, thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. She rested her hand on his cheek and watched as he slept peacefully. She had never seen him so peaceful before. She laid down next to him and continued to watch him sleep. Eventually she drifted off too.

* * *

Hitsugaya awoke to an unfamiliar room. It was dark, probably night time. He vaguely remembered collapsing in the street. He looked around to see he was in a hospital room. Someone must have found him. His headache had subsided. It was still there but it wasn't bothering him as much. He sat up and reached for a cup of water that was sitting on a table next to his bed. That was when he noticed her.

Haruka was lying on the side of his bed, fast asleep. He had to blink a few times to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. When he had determined that she was actually there he began to wonder why.

_Why is she here? And how long has she been here? And how long have I been asleep?_

She stirred slightly but remained asleep. Hitsugaya lay back down and stared at the ceiling. He was honestly confused as to why she was in his room. He was even more confused as to why she was lying on his bed. He had believed that she hated him. He grabbed the extra blanket that was lying at the bottom of his bed and pulled it over her. He watched body moved with each breath she took. He sighed quietly, knowing perfectly well that even though she was here, she wasn't his. He gently pushed her bangs out of her face and continued to watch her as she slept. He didn't know when it was but eventually he drifted back to sleep.

* * *

The next time Hitsugaya woke up Unohana was standing next to him.

"Oh, you're awake," Unohana stated as she switched the IV. "It's pretty early, you can go back to sleep if you want."

Hitsugaya didn't reply to what she was saying but instead looked at the side of his bed. Haruka was still lying there asleep. "Why is Haruka here?" Hitsugaya questioned.

Unohana laughed. "She found you unconscious on the street. She's refused to leave your side since."

"How long have I been asleep?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Only about a day," Unohana replied. "But don't you worry; Gin's been bringing her food."

The sound of Gin's name made Hitsugaya's head throb again. He detested the guy, and the fact that he had been in this room while he had been asleep made him want to puke.

"Well, I must be going, I have other patients to check on," Unohana stated as she left the room. "I'll have someone bring you some breakfast in a bit."

Hitsugaya sat in silence. He had already slept too much to go back to sleep and it had been much too early to do anything else. He doubted Unohana would even let him out of the bed after he had collapsed. His headache was still present, but its intensity had plummeted.

"Captain Hitsugaya," a drowsy voice said from next to him. Hitsugaya turned to see that Haruka had awoken. "You're okay, thank god."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hitsugaya replied. "Unohana told me you saved me. Thank you. But she also told me you didn't go home after. Why didn't you leave?"

Haruka yawned. "I don't know actually. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Well, now that you know, why don't you go to your barracks and rest," Hitsugaya stated, suddenly feeling dizzy again. He laid his hand on his head. "It's still quite early."

Haruka noticed the look of pain that flared across Hitsugaya's face. She moved closer towards him and rested her hand on his cheek. "I'm not going to go."

Hitsugaya looked at her confused, his hand still on his head. His headache was returning to its original state. He tried to fight it but ended up leaning forward in pain.

"I'm won't leave your side because it's obvious that you're not alright."

* * *

Arigato. Reviews welcome.

- Haruka Shinigami


	7. Call Me Toshiro

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

**However: **I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

**Warning: **Spoilers may be present.

* * *

Hitsugaya laid in his bed staring out the window in front of him. He silently watched the night sky. The stars were as bright as ever. The light of the full moon dimly illuminated his room. He'd been trapped in the damn hospital for three days already and Unohana still refused to release him, simply stating that he wasn't fit to leave yet. He felt completely fine, except for the occasional dizziness or short headache. But he could deal with those by himself.

Haruka stirred next to him. It'd been three days already and he still couldn't convince her to sleep in her own barracks, not that he'd been very persistent. It's not like he minded her company, he actually enjoyed it very much, but he was worried that she might get sick from staying in the hospital for too long. And since she never left the room other than to go to the bathroom, shower, or get food, he knew she had to be getting behind on her paperwork. Even though he was worried about her, he didn't push it too far because a selfish piece of him wanted her to stay by his side forever. That selfish piece was scared that if she left she'd go running back to Gin.

The thought of Haruka with Gin made Hitsugaya want to vomit but he held it back. He grabbed the cup of water on his side table and took a sip of it to fight back the acid taste in his mouth. He sighed as he set the cup back down. He couldn't believe that the mere thought of that guy was the whole reason he was sick.

Hitsugaya glanced back at Haruka who was curled up next to him. Her long black hair fell loosely around her slim body. Hitsugaya ran his hand gently through her hair, pushing back her bangs that had fallen over her face. The dim light made her pale skin glow. She looked so peaceful when she slept. He wished he could just freeze time and stay in that moment forever. But even he knew that she wasn't his to have.

Hitsugaya sighed and lay back down in bed. Haruka shifted slightly, moving closer to him. She was warm and soft. He lay is arm gently around her and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

When Hitsugaya woke up, Haruka wasn't at his side. For a moment Hitsugaya was afraid that she had broken her promise. But when he thought about it, she hadn't really made a promise to him; she had just simply stated that she wouldn't leave his side because he wasn't alright. Had sometime during the night she deemed him as fine? The thought of her leaving made him dizzy. He leaned forward resting his head in his hands.

"Hitsugaya, are you alright?" Haruka questioned as she walked back in the room, carrying a tray of food.

The dizziness quickly faded and he sat back up. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just sat up too fast and got dizzy, that's all," he stated, hoping his lie wasn't too obvious. Well it's not like the dizziness he felt was from being sick so he doubted it really mattered either way.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up," Haruka stated, setting the tray down on the table next to him. "Unohana woke me up earlier and asked me if I could help her with a few things and bring you breakfast."

Hitsugaya took a bite of the food that was placed before him. It was a plate of eggs and toast. A glass of orange juice on the side. "Don't worry," Hitsugaya replied between bites. "It's not like I even asked you to stay here you know, you could always sleep in your own barracks."

Haruka laughed. "I told you before; I'm going to stay by your side until you get better."

"Why?" Hitsugaya questioned for the hundredth time. She never gave him a real answer.

"I don't know," Haruka replied, looking out the window. "I don't know why I just can't bring myself to leave you alone when you're so weak."

Hitsugaya sighed softly, a barely audible sound. Once again she didn't give him an answer. He set down his chopsticks on the tray for he had finished his breakfast. He slowly got up from his bed and walked over to stand next to Haruka. He rested his hand on the window ceil, his fingers just barely brushing against hers. He stared out the large window out to a garden. The trees had just begun to bloom, signaling the change in the seasons. It was a truly lovely sight.

"Haruka, I…" Hitsugaya began. He didn't really know what he was trying to say, but he knew that he had to say something. He turned to face her but stopped dead.

Gin Ichimaru. The sly fox had somehow managed to get in his room and wrap his arms around Haruka without him even noticing. He had to have been hiding his reiatsu pretty damn well to do that one.

"Good morning, Captain Hitsugaya," Gin stated slyly. His ever present smile still plastered across his face. "You're looking much better. I'm surprised that Unohana still suggests that you remain here." He was still leaning of Haruka's back, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

Hitsugaya fought back the hot tears that formed in his eyes. He refused to allow Gin the pleasure of seeing him cry. "And what might you be here for, Gin?" Hitsugaya spat out icily. "I did not request your presence."

Haruka pouted. "You don't need to be so mean to him, Hitsugaya."

Hitsugaya just turned around and stormed out of the room.

* * *

Hitsugaya didn't know how long he sat on the bathroom floor, but eventually he decided it had been long enough. He had stopped crying ages ago, but his eyes were still red and puffy. He turned on the faucet and splashed cool water on his face, in hopes that it might do something. He sighed when it had little effect. After a few more feeble attempts he decided to head back to his room.

"Welcome back, Captain Hitsugaya," the sly voice came from across the room.

Hitsugaya looked to see him sitting on his bed. "Get out, Gin."

Gin's smile lessoned slightly, in a mocking way. "Lighten up Hitsugaya; it's not like I'm doing any harm by being here."

Hitsugaya sneered. "You're the whole reason I'm in here. Now get out Gin. Now," Hitsugaya yelled. His voice was completely frozen, harsh and cold. Haruka had never heard him this upset.

Gin stood up from the bed and walked out the door, making sure to give Haruka a goodbye kiss on the forehead as he passed her. Hitsugaya fought back the urge to punch something.

"What do you mean that Gin's the reason you're in here?" Haruka questioned. "Did he do something to you?"

Hitsugaya sat on his bed. He stared at the wall silently, ignoring Haruka's question. It wasn't like he would tell her the real reason for his headaches. He couldn't. Because she was not his. She belonged to that sly fox. And she always would. There was not enough room in her life for him. He was just a friend, a fellow captain, and nothing more.

Hitsugaya's train of thought came to an abrupt stop when he noticed Haruka was sitting on the bed in front of him, looking intently at him. The look in her eyes at that moment was the only thing that gave him the slightest hope that maybe he hadn't completely lost.

"You know, you can tell me anything right?" Haruka simply stated, still watching him.

He nodded. "I know, but I don't have anything that needs to be said at this moment. Don't worry, I'm fine. It's just that Gin and I don't exactly get along well if you haven't noticed. I got a bit cranky with him and snapped. It's fine, don't worry, it's not his fault I'm sick."

Haruka smiled. "Hitsugaya…"

"Call me Toshiro," he cut her off.

"I'm going to worry about you no matter what you tell me," Haruka smiled. "Toshiro."

* * *

Arigato. Reviews welcome.

- Haruka Shinigami


	8. Lovebirds

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

**However: **I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

**Warning: **Spoilers may be present.

A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long, but I've been so busy with school and water polo recently. And I just got over being sick and had to take the high school exit exam (which is really easy, just boring and tiring) this week, so I've been really busy. I'll try to update quicker next time. Review please. (:

* * *

The bright sunlight that filtered through the window across the room shone on Hitsugaya, waking him up. He sat up gently, his eyes still closed. The fact that he hadn't slept so well in months made him drowsy with the idea that he could sleep like that forever. But he knew he couldn't. He had to get back to his work sometime. And he doubted Unohana would be keeping him for much longer since he wasn't actually sick and his headache had disappeared after the third day of his stay. He actually didn't understand why Unohana had kept him for so long.

Haruka stirred gently next to him, still asleep. Her blanket had fallen half off sometime during the night. He pulled it back up, careful to not wake her. He sighed softly, knowing that soon he would not enjoy the pleasure of seeing her lying next to him when he awoke. After only five days it had become routine for him to fall asleep with her at his side.

He lied back down. Sleep called to him, even though he wasn't tired. He rested his head gently back on the pillow and wrapped his arm around Haruka. She snuggled in closer to him, attracted by the warmth. The fact that she was there, lying next to him, gave him the hope that maybe he still had a chance with her.

The soft sound of Haruka's breathing lulled him back to sleep.

* * *

Haruka woke up drowsily. She was curled up in Hitsugaya's chest, his arm around her. It was odd, being so close to the icy captain. He was a lot warmer than Haruka would have ever guessed. Even through the oddity of the situation, she still felt comfortable. She still didn't understand as of to why she refused to leave his side, even at night. She had stayed by his side from the moment he was admitted into the hospital, not even leaving his side at night to sleep in her own barracks but instead finding comfort lying next to him.

She sighed and got up from the bed, slowly, as to not disturb the sleeping captain, and headed down the hall towards the bathroom.

The second time Hitsugaya woke up he was alone. For a moment he panicked about the idea that Haruka might have left him some time during the night even though he knew she was mostly either going to the bathroom or helping out Unohana with something as she often did in the morning. It wasn't like Hitsugaya to panic at such a trivial thing. He decided it must have been because he knew that this would be his last chance to wake up beside her. He slumped back against the headboard of the bed and stared out the window.

"I see you're finally awake," Haruka called from the door, causing Hitsugaya to turn to look at her. "Unohana said you're free to go whenever you feel like it, just sign out as you leave."

Hitsugaya nodded. "Well then, I guess I might as well get changed."

"Here," Haruka said, handing him his shihakushō and captain's haori. "I'll wait outside until you're done. Tell me when you're finished." With that she walked out and slid the door closed behind her.

Hitsugaya laid his clothes on the bed and pulled of his shirt, quickly changing back into his own clothes. He slipped his haori on top. He ran his hand through his hair, pushing his bangs that had fallen in his face back. "You can come back in." He said as he opened the door.

"It's almost noon; would you care to get some lunch together?" Haruka offered. "There's this really good teriyaki place right around the block."

"As good as it sounds, I really should be getting back to my office," Hitsugaya replied. "I have no doubt that Matsumoto left all the paperwork undone for me to finish upon my arrival."

"How about I walk you to your office then?" Haruka smiled. "It's not that far from my own anyways. I need to check that Umeko hasn't been stressing herself too much covering my work. I think I'll let her have the weekend off. She's been doing so much for me recently."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't spent all your time here in the hospital, never leaving, then maybe she wouldn't have had to do all your work in addition to her own," Hitsugaya stated. They both laughed.

The two of them began walking side my side down the hall.

"I'm glad you're better now," Haruka stated as they turned a corner. "I was really scared when I found you unconscious on the street."

"I'm sorry to have worried you," Hitsugaya replied.

"You better not pass out in the street again, Toshiro," Haruka laughed. "Or else you'll be in big trouble when I find out."

Hitsugaya frowned. "If I did pass out again, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be picking on me then. Don't want to make it worse, now do you, Haruka?"

They laughed as they entered the lobby. Hitsugaya quickly went to the counter and signed out. As he was walking back towards Haruka, Unohana joined them.

"Get out of here you two lovebirds," Unohana stated. "I'm sick of you two using my hospital as your little love nest."

"What?" Haruka nearly stuttered to say.

"Us? Together? Are you insane?" Hitsugaya and Haruka said in unison. "We're just friends."

"Whatever you say," Unohana smiled as she turned around and walked off.

They turned to look at each other and quickly looked away.

"Come on, let's get going," Hitsugaya said, grabbing Haruka's hand to lead her out.

They walked in silence for a long time, Hitsugaya still holding Haruka's hand. They were quite far from their barracks. Both the squad ten and squad fourteen barracks were on the opposite side of Seireitei from the hospital, meaning that if they kept up the pace they were going at it would take them days to get back to their barracks. But neither of them was in a real hurry.

"I think we should head out on our own from here on," Haruka said. "We'd get back faster."

Hitsugaya was reluctant to release Haruka's hand. "I guess," he said halfheartedly and let go. "I need to tend to my paperwork anyways. I'll see you later then, Haruka."

"Bye, Toshiro," Haruka said as she used shunpo to land on the top of her squad's barracks.

She proceeded to jump to the ground and head into her office where she knew a slightly upset Umeko and a pile of paperwork awaited her.

* * *

Haruka lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She was exhausted from spending hours catching up on all the work she had shoved off to stay with Hitsugaya while he was in the hospital, but she couldn't will herself to sleep. She couldn't understand why she was unable to sleep. It was as though she was cold, as though in the short week she spent falling asleep next to Hitsugaya, she missed his warmth. She sighed and got up from bed. She pulled on a thick robe and headed outside to sit on the roof.

Haruka was staring at the stars. She didn't know how long she had been up there when she noticed someone else's reiatsu filling the air, signaling their presence.

"Gin, why are you up so late?" Haruka asked without even looking at him. She could recognize his reiatsu anywhere.

"I could ask you the same, Haruka," he replied sitting down next to her.

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted, leaning against him. She rested her head on his shoulder. "It was too cold."

"Missing your little prince?" Gin teased. "Can't sleep without him at your side anymore?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, as if," she replied, suddenly feeling sleepy. "It was just cold," she drowsily muttered.

Gin stood up and gently picked her up. He carried her back to her room and tucked her into bed as she fell asleep.

"Goodnight, my love," Gin kissed her forehead and walked out of the room.

* * *

Arigato. Reviews welcome.

- Haruka Shinigami


	9. A New Mission

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

**However: **I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

**Warning: **Spoilers may be present.

A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in nearly a month, but I've been having family issues and other things. I promise I'll try to do better from now on. Review please, they help me get the motivation to continue writing. :D

* * *

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Gin whispered in her ear. She stirred gently, not opening her eyes. "It's time to wake up. We have a meeting today and I doubt the Captain Commander would be happy if you were late."

"Five more minutes, please," Haruka pulled the blanket up over her head, hiding from the cold, and curled up into a ball. Haruka hated to be woken up, especially before noon. "Just give me five more minutes. I'll get up then. I promise."

Gin laughed, knowing that he had no chance at waking her up unless he took drastic measures."Now, Haruka, our captain's meeting is in twenty minutes and you still need to get up and change." She still didn't move. "Don't make me tickle you." He reached out and held his hand above the blanket.

"Don't you dare," she cursed. "If you do I promise to make your life hell for the next week." She drowsily sat up in her bed, still not wanting to let go of the warm blanket. "Hand me my clothes. This meeting better be worth my time. Maybe I'll get a chance to get back in the field."

Gin handed Haruka her clothes and she hid underneath the blanket again. She figured that changing under the warm blanket was better than walking to the cold bathroom to change. When she was finished she slowly stood up and slipped on her sandals, hanging her zanpakuto across her back.

"Let's get going," Haruka stated, still half asleep and gently rubbing her eyes. "But you owe me lunch today. And possibly dinner too because I was planning on sleeping in and you had to go and ruin my plans." She began walking to the door and almost ran into it, too tired to keep her eyes open.

"Want me to carry you there?" Gin offered. She nodded slightly and he picked her up on his back. "Hold on." He used shunpo and headed outside and towards the captains' meeting hall.

Gin set her down just outside the captains' hall door, not daring to cause a scene by carrying her inside. As Gin opened the door he quickly realized that they were the last ones to arrive, most likely late too.

"Good morning, Captain Ichimaru, Captain Kaenbyo," the Captain Commander stated. "I'm glad you could join us. Please take your places so we may begin."Gin and Haruka took their places as their commander continued. "We have urgent matters to deal with. An infestation of hollows has gathered in southern Japan. They must be eliminated quickly before any more menos appear. I fear if we allow this to continue we will be dealing with a Vasto Lorde level menos soon. Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Soifon, and Captain Aizen, I will be sending you three out to eliminate the problem. Any questions?"

"Captain Commander, may I speak?" Haruka asked. He nodded and she went on. "As you may all know, I have been off the field for a while, so I may be out of practice but during that time I was researching a quick and efficient way to take out the menos. It's a type of kidō that can absorb the power of the menos' ceros and send them right back, according to the users will of course. I suggest that since I am currently the only one capable of using such kidō that I, along with one or two others, go out into the field to exterminate the problem. I believe that if I go, we can send not only less of our captains who are needed to run things in Seireitei, but also cut the human lives lost in half."

The Captain Commander thought for a few moments before decided. "Captain Aizen and Captain Soifon, you will be staying behind. Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Kaenbyo will be going alone. I see no need to waste any more time on the topic, you will be leaving tonight. Everyone is dismissed."

Everyone quietly walked out the doors. Haruka and Gin were the last to leave, Hitsugaya quickly passing by them on his way out.

"Haruka, why in the world did you volunteer for such a dangerous mission?" Gin asked, as though he believed that Haruka had gone mad. "Especially when you haven't been in the field in months, not even killing basic hollows. Are you insane? Do you want to be killed?"

"No, Gin, I have not gone insane. I simply volunteered because I believed this would be a good opportunity to put my research to work after spending so much time on it. And I think this is a more accurate reading of its true potential rather than on some week Gillian that was captured and starved of reiatsu for months," Haruka stated. "And there is no need to worry about me so much Gin. You and I both know how strong I am. I'm not some weak little girl. If I was would I be a captain of the Gotei 14?"

"Fine then," Gin laughed. "But if you get hurt it's not my fault, I warned you."

"Now, I need to go and get ready," Haruka stated, walking out the door. "There is a lot of work to be done."

* * *

Haruka walked down the hall and headed into her squad's office. She was please to see Umeko already at her desk working away at a giant pile of paperwork.

"Umeko, I'm sorry to have to tell you this but I am going to the human world for a while to take out a small menos problem that we have recently come across," Haruka stated as she sat down in the chair behind her desk. She picked up a piece of paper and glanced over it. "I know that you've been doing not only your share of the paperwork but also a fair share of mine due to my time being spent in the laboratory, but I'm requesting that you keep up the good work while I'm out in the human world. I believe you will be able to look after the squad, right?"

"Of course Captain, I don't mind," Umeko stated, signing a document that was lying on the desk before her. "Just as long as you promise that the moment you get back we're going to the hot springs together."

"You are such a workaholic Umeko," Haruka laughed. "We'll go to the hot springs every day for a week when I get back. And you'll get the following week to yourself."

"Deal," Umeko smiled.

Haruka finished looking over the few documents that needed her attention and headed out the door to her room to get a few things before heading off the gate to the human world.

* * *

Haruka walked up to the gate to see Hitsugaya already waiting for her there. She smiled and ran up to him.

"Toshiro," Haruka called as she came to stand beside him. "How have you been? It's been a while since we last met. We've both been so busy since you got out of the hospital. Oh has your headache returned at all?"

"I've been fine, Haruka," Hitsugaya laughed as she rambled on. "And no my headaches haven't come back. I think the medicine that Unohana gave to me has been helping. And how have you been?"

"Busy," Haruka laughed. "Much too busy. I haven't been out in the human world in months. I'm totally out of practice."

"Don't worry, you're still strong even if you haven't attacked a hollow in months," Hitsugaya said. "Come on, it's time to go."

* * *

The moment Hitsugaya and Haruka were in the human world they headed to Urahara's shop to get their gigai. Once they were in their gigai they headed south of the town to the location the Captain Commander had told them the hollow infestation had accumulated.

"There's a large amount of reiatsu here," Haruka stated. "But I don't see the hollows. It's as if they were just here though. Maybe they went back to Hueco Mundo already?"

"That's a possibility, but with this much reiatsu in the air I'm sure they'll be back at any time. As for now I think we should rest. Going between the worlds is quite tiring, plus it's already dark out here. There's a hut over there that looks pretty abandoned. We could probably crash there for the night." Hitsugaya replied as he opened a backpack he had slung around his shoulders. He grabbed a piece of metal and shoved it into the lock on the door, twisting it a bit and opening the door to the hut.

Inside the hut was a small cot with a rug beneath it. There was also a stool in one corner and a small table too. The hut looked abandoned on the inside too, for dust had gathered everywhere. Haruka quickly dusted everything off as Hitsugaya set up the beds.

"You can sleep in the cot Haruka," Hitsugaya said as he sat on the floor, pulling a blanket around him.

Haruka looked at him with a thoughtful expression. "But Toshiro, if you sleep on the ground you'll get cold and most likely get sick again. You don't want to end up in the hospital again do you?"

Hitsugaya laughed. "Don't worry about me; I have the medicine Unohana gave me. Besides I don't mind sleeping on the floor, and you don't want a repeat of the last mission we went on together? You getting sick and us nearly getting killed by both the hollows and the Captain Commander for staying in the human world for the maximum amount of time for a shinigami."

Haruka frowned. "I still don't like the idea of you sleeping there."

"I said don't worry about it, now go to sleep you need your rest," Hitsugaya rolled his eyes and laid down, pretending to go to bed.

Haruka walked over to the cot and sat down on the edge, wary to get in. She looked down at it. It was a large bed for one person she thought. And it wasn't like it would be the first time she had shared a place to sleep with him.

"Get over here," Haruka stated.

Hitsugaya looked up her with confusion in his eyes.

She lifted the blanket and got in and motioned for him to join her. He smiled softly and did as she said, laying his blanket over the two of them. They laid there in silence, curled up next to one another. Eventually the two of them drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

Arigato. Reviews welcome.

- Haruka Shinigami


	10. Cero

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Bleach characters mentioned in this series. All characters belong to the original author Tite Kubo.

**However: **I do own Haruka Kaenbyo and Umeko Fujiwara.

**Warning: **Spoilers may be present.

* * *

The sky was painted in a multitude of shades of vermilion as the sun began to set beyond the hills. Haruka was sitting upon the roof of the abandoned shack they had taken shelter in for the duration of their mission in the world of the living.

"Did you feel that?" Haruka asked Hitsugaya who was laying beside her.

"It's just the wind," he replied. "Relax for once." He gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her down next to him. She curled up besides him, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her in response. The two laid there as the sun continued to fall farther and farther below the horizon.

An ear-splitting shriek broke the silence. Hitsugaya was on his feet with Hyōrinmaru in hand within a split second. Haruka remained sitting her hands held in front of her, ready to use the kidō she had been perfecting for months. The sky was shredded to pieces when the Gillian revealed itself. Haruka channeled her reiatsu through the air, humidifying it and instantly changing the water to ice crystals. Haruka would normally never use this technique while there was another shinigami present because if they were unable to manipulate the ice the act of breathing would shred their lungs to pieces, but she knew from prior experience that Hitsugaya was comfortable with the ice shroud. Visibility within the frozen field was null but the two were able to feel their surroundings through the reiatsu they flooded through the ice.

Haruka dashed through the ice with grace, her zanpakuto still sheathed at her side. She felt the Menos swinging at the ice, attempting to free itself from the frozen prison the shinigami had created. Haruka approached the beast and blew a path of fire straight at it, melting the ice and revealing her position. The Menos swung angrily at her and began charging a cero. Haruka held her hands steady and began chanting the kidō spell. The cero it Haruka dead on, but the spell absorbed the power. She said the last word of spell and tried to shoot the cero back to the Gillian but instead the energy flowed into her causing her to fall to the ground.

The Gillian charged another cero but Hitsugaya was able to distract it before it could fire.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens," Hitsugaya shouted as the ice flowed around him. Hyōrinmaru's shikai slashed at the Gillian, ripping its right arm off. Hitsugaya had fought Gillians in large numbers before so he easily sent it back to Hueco Mundo within a matter of seconds.

As the sky returned to its normal state, Hitsugaya released all the ice in the air and dropped to the ground next to Haruka. He sheathed his zanpakuto and sat beside her. She was unconscious but still alive, her breathing and pulse very weak. He picked her and carried her on his back, using shunpo to get to Urahara's shop as quickly as he could.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her even though he was sure she couldn't hear him.

* * *

By the time Hitsugaya reached Urahara's shop the sun had already risen. He rushed to the door where he was greeted by Jinta.

"Where's Urahara?" The young captain demanded. "It's an emergency."

Jinta ran inside the shop and Hitsugaya followed. He could feel Haruka growing weaker with each passing second. He didn't know what he would do if he lost her, especially if he knew he could have saved her too.

"What happened?" Urahara said as he entered the room. He shifted his hat to get a better look at the situation.

Hitsugaya tried to stay calm when explaining the situation. "She absorbed a Menos' cero. It didn't hit her, but I'm not quite sure what happened. She was trying some new kidō she had been working on in the lab for months. She hasn't woken up since."

"This is a grave situation," Urahara said, gesturing for the captain to follow him into a back room.

Hitsugaya set Haruka down on the bed and sat on the floor beside her. "She has a chance right?" Hitsugaya could hear his voice becoming nervous. He was scared for her. He thought that the kidō had been perfected, that she would be able to complete the spell without any problems. If he had known that something like this could happen he would have never let the cero fire.

Urahara nodded to him. "I need to go look up something, I'll be back in a bit. Watch over her, send Jinta to find me if anything happens." He walked out of the room leaving Hitsugaya and Haruka alone.

Haruka looked as though death had already set in upon her. Her faint heartbeat and breath were all that told you she was still alive. Hitsugaya got up and laid beside her in bed. He wondered if she had been this worried about him when he was in the hospital. He believed that she would be okay in the morning. He had been up for over a day and was extremely exhausted. He quickly drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

Arigato. Reviews welcome.

- Haruka Shinigami


End file.
